ABILITIES Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

abilities

noun

plural of ability

as in capabilities

the physical or mental power to do something as a result of the accident the once-vigorous athlete lost the ability to walk

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of abilities The deft use of AI animation comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping has pushed for years to boost the country's abilities to spread its messages globally, gain a greater say on world affairs and counter Western narratives that Beijing often sees as biased or even derogatory about China. —

ABC News, 10 Apr. 2026 Pannek insists that helping teammates play their best to the best of their abilities is what matters now. —

Theodore Tollefson, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2026 One, will Riley be anything more than a DH in the future due to his limited defensive abilities? —

Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2026 But, according to Anthropic, in safety tests, Mythos would sometimes use its hacking abilities to accomplish some other goal in ways that surprised its creators. —

Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026 The activity is a reminder that Russia is further developing its abilities to map and sabotage critical Western infrastructure at ocean depths, Norway’s Defense Ministry said. —

Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026 In a statement, Westermann touted Chiu’s abilities to lure in a wider audience. —

Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 9 Apr. 2026 Unfortunately, however, our regenerative abilities stop there. —

Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026 Those class members who needed the gentle aid of their spouse or caregiver or a walker were encouraged to accept such support and each participant followed the dance steps according to their unique abilities. —

Carla Hinton, Oklahoman, 9 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for abilities

Noun

Federal rules required that phone carriers be able to track the locations of phones for emergency services; Altman struck deals with carriers to tap these capabilities for the company’s use.

— Ronan Farrow, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
While the deception operation was ongoing, the agency used its capabilities to track the crew member in a mountain crevice, the official said.

— Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026